Maximizing the Viterbi Winning Path Metric to Estimate Carrier Frequency and Phase Offsets in Continuous Phase Modulated Signals

ABSTRACT

A system and method for estimating carrier frequency offset Δf and carrier phase offset φ 0  inherent in a received CPM signal. Samples of a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal are received. A maximum of an objective function J is determined over a two-dimensional region parameterized by frequency offset v and phase offset w. The coordinates v max  and w max  of a maximizing point in the region represent estimates of the carrier frequency offset Δf and the carrier phase offset φ 0 . To evaluate the objective function J at a point (v,w), apply a frequency shift of amount −v and a phase shift of amount −w to the received samples to obtain modified samples, and perform Viterbi demodulation on the modified samples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time. The winning path metric value is the objective function value J(v,w).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of signal processing, andmore particularly to systems and methods for estimating the carrierfrequency offset and carrier phase offset associated with the receptionof a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

A receiver receives a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal u(t) froma channel. (The signal has been transmitted onto the channel by atransmitter.) In the case of single-h CPM, the signal u(t) may bemodeled by the expressions

$\begin{matrix}{{{\varphi (t)} = {2\pi \; h{\int_{- \infty}^{t}{\sum\limits_{i = {- \infty}}^{n}\; {a_{i}{g\left( {\tau - {i\; T}} \right)}\ {\tau}}}}}},} & \left( {1A} \right) \\{{{u(t)} = {A\; \cos \left\{ {{2\pi \; f_{c}t} + {\varphi (t)}} \right\}}},} & \left( {1B} \right)\end{matrix}$

where T is the symbol period, where n=floor(t/T), where a_(i) ∈ S_(M) isthe i^(th) symbol of the transmitted symbol sequence {a_(i)}, where thesymbol set S_(m)={±1, ±3, ±(M−1)}. Since the symbol set S_(M) has Melements, each symbol a, represents log₂(M) information bits. f_(c) isthe carrier frequency of the transmitted signal in Hz. The parameter his the modulation index. The pulse shaping filter g(t) is of averageamplitude 1/(2T) and duration T. Furthermore, the filter g(t) may besupported on the interval [0,T].

The receiver downconverts the signal u(t) using a local oscillator (LO)signal to obtain a baseband signal r(t) given by:

r(t)32 A cos{2π(Δf)t+φ(t)+φ₀ }+n(t),   (1C)

where Δf is the carrier frequency offset (CFO), and φ₀ is the carrierphase offset (CPO). The carrier frequency offset Δf is the differencebetween the receiver's local oscillator frequency and the carrierfrequency implicit in the input signal. (The carrier frequency offset Δfmay include an offset between the receiver's LO frequency and thetransmitter's LO frequency and/or a Doppler shift induced by motion ofthe receiver relative to the transmitter.)

The information-carrying phase φ(t) over the generic time interval(n−1)T≦t≦nT can be expressed as follows:

$\begin{matrix}{{{\varphi (t)} = {{\varphi \left( {\left( {n - 1} \right)T} \right)} + {2\pi \; {ha}_{n}{q\left( {t - {nT}} \right)}}}},{where}} & \left( {2A} \right) \\{{q(t)} = {\int_{- \infty}^{t}{{g(\tau)}{{\tau}.}}}} & \left( {2B} \right)\end{matrix}$

The phase value φ((n−1)T) represents an accumulation of the phase stepsfrom the symbols up to time (n−1)T, all of which have reached theirsteady state values. The phase value φ((n−1)T) is given by

$\begin{matrix}{{\varphi \left( {\left( {n - 1} \right)T} \right)} = {\pi \; h{\sum\limits_{i = {- \infty}}^{n - 1}\; {a_{i}.}}}} & (3)\end{matrix}$

The phase trajectories {φ(t)} generated by all possible sequences{a_(i)} of symbols define a trellis diagram.

More generally, the pulse shaping filter g(t) may have duration LT andbe supported on the interval [0,LT], where L is a positive integer. IfL=1, the CPM is said to be “full response CPM”. If L>1, the CPM is saidto be “partial response CPM”.

In the context of partial response CPM, the phase function φ(t) may beexpressed as:

${\varphi (t)} = {{\varphi \left( {\left( {n - L} \right)T} \right)} + {2\pi \; h{\sum\limits_{i = {n - L + 1}}^{n}\; {a_{i}{{q\left( {t - {iT}} \right)}.}}}}}$

One may attempt to demodulate the CPM signal r(t) by performing maximumlikelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) using a Viterbi demodulator, e.g.,as described in: (A) “Continuous Phase Modulation-Part I: Full ResponseSignaling”, Tor Aulin and Carl-Erik w. Sundberg, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ONCOMMUNICATIONS, VOL. COM-29, NO. 3, MARCH 1981 (hereinafter referred toas “Aulin”); (B) “Blind Symbol Timing Recovery for Multi-Level/Multi-hCPM signals with High Spectral Efficiency”, Marilena Maiolo and MarcoLuise, University of Pisa, Dip. Ingegneria Informazione (hereinafterreferred to as “Maiolo”), and (C) “Digital Communications”, FourthEdition, John J. Proakis, McGraw Hill (hereinafter referred to as“Proakis”).

However, the recovered symbol sequence will not be accurate if φ₀ and Δfare not known at least approximately. Thus, there exists a need forsystems and method capable of estimating φ₀ and Δf, especially in lowSNR environments and/or in environments where the CPM signal doesn'tinclude any pilot or preamble. The same observation holds for thedemodulation of multi-h CPM signals.

The CPM signals and in particular multi-h CPM signals have been found tohave very attractive characteristics like near zero PAPR (peak toaverage power ratio) and high spectral efficiencies, etc. In someapplications, the communication is made secure by designing the signalto have no pilots or preambles. This calls for the design of blindreceivers for CPM signals. This design problem presents a hugechallenge, especially at low SNRs (signal to noise ratios). The mainchallenge is to lock to the intended signal (in both time andfrequency). Frequency lock poses a huge challenge to the designengineer, especially when there are no preambles/pilots. Frequency lockcould be achieved if one could either estimate or correct the carrierfrequency offset (CFO) present in the baseband signal. The CFO may bedue to the difference in frequency of the local oscillators used in thetransmitter and receiver, and/or, due to the Doppler shift caused by therelative motion between the receiver and transmitter. The Doppler shiftgets worse when the relative velocity is large. This situation is verycommon in telemetry and deep space communications.

Phase locked loops (PLLs) are a very attractive means of estimating andcorrecting the carrier frequency offsets and the carrier phase offsetsin CPM signals. However, the design of a PLL at low SNRs can be quitecomplex and difficult.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method for estimating carrier frequency offset Afmay involve the following operations.

The method may include receiving a block of samples of a continuousphase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signal may besingle-h CPM signal or multi-h CPM signal.

The method may also include estimating the carrier frequency offset Afinherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples, wherethe process of estimating comprises computing a maximum of an objectivefunction J as a function of frequency offset v. The maximizing valuev_(max) of the frequency offset v represents an estimate of the carrierfrequency offset Δf. The action of computing the maximum includescomputing a plurality of values J(v) of the objective function J at arespective plurality of values of the frequency offset v.

The action of computing the objective function value J(v) at any givenone of the values of the frequency offset v comprises: frequencyshifting the received block of samples by −v to obtain a frequencyshifted block of samples; and performing Viterbi demodulation on thefrequency shifted block of samples to obtain a winning path metric valueat a final time, where the winning path metric value is the objectivefunction value J(v).

The estimate v_(max) of the carrier frequency offset Δf may be stored ina memory.

The method may be performed blindly, i.e., without requiring the CPMsignal to include a preamble or pilot. The carrier frequency offset mayinclude a Doppler shift due to motion of the receiver relative to atransmitter. The carrier frequency offset may also include a differencebetween the receiver's local oscillator frequency and the transmitter'slocal oscillator frequency. By performing a traceback process on theresults of the Viterbi demodulation that gave the maximum objectivefunction value, the method may recover an estimate of the transmittedsymbol sequence.

In another embodiment, a method for estimating a carrier phase offset φ₀may involve the following operations.

The method may include receiving a block of samples of a continuousphase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signal may besingle-h CPM signal or multi-h CPM signal.

The method may also include estimating the carrier phase offset φ₀inherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples, wherethe process of estimating comprises computing a maximum of an objectivefunction J as a function of phase offset w. The maximizing value w_(max)of the phase offset w represents an estimate of the carrier phase offsetφ₀. The action of computing the maximum includes computing a pluralityof values J(w) of the objective function J at a respective plurality ofvalues of the phase offset w.

The action of computing the objective function value J(w) at any givenone of the values of the phase offset w comprises: phase shifting thereceived block of samples by −w to obtain a phase shifted block ofsamples; and performing Viterbi demodulation on the phase shifted blockof samples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time,wherein the winning path metric value is the objective function valueJ(w).

The estimate w_(max) of the carrier phase offset φ₀ may be stored in amemory.

The method may be performed blindly, i.e., without requiring the CPMsignal to include a preamble or pilot. By performing a traceback processon the results of the Viterbi demodulation that gave the maximumobjective function value, the method may recover an estimate of thetransmitted symbol sequence.

In yet another embodiment, a method for estimating carrier frequencyoffset Δf and carrier phase offset φ₀ may involve the followingoperations.

The method may include receiving a block of samples of a continuousphase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signal may besingle-h CPM signal or multi-h CPM signal.

The method may also include estimating a carrier frequency offset Af anda carrier phase offset φ₀ inherent in the CPM signal based on thereceived block of samples, where the process of estimating comprisescomputing a maximum of an objective function J over a region within atwo-dimensional space parameterized by frequency offset v and phaseoffset w. The coordinates v_(max) and w_(max) of a maximizing point inthe region represent respectively an estimate of the carrier frequencyoffset Δf and an estimate of the carrier phase offset φ₀. The action ofcomputing the maximum includes computing a plurality of values J(v,w) ofthe objective function J at a respective plurality points (v,w) in theregion.

The action of computing the objective function value J(v,w) at any givenone of the points (v,w) comprises: applying a frequency shift of amount−v and a phase shift of amount −w to the received block of samples inorder to obtain a modified block of samples; and performing Viterbidemodulation on the modified block of samples to obtain a winning pathmetric value at a final time, wherein the winning path metric value isthe objective function value J(v,w).

The estimate v_(max) of the carrier frequency offset Δf and the estimatew_(max) of the carrier phase offset φ₀ may be stored in a memory.

The method may be performed blindly, i.e., without requiring the CPMsignal to include a preamble or pilot. The carrier frequency offset mayinclude a Doppler shift due to motion of the receiver relative to thetransmitter. The carrier frequency offset may also include a differencebetween the receiver's local oscillator frequency and the transmitter'slocal oscillator frequency. By performing a traceback process on theresults of the Viterbi demodulation that gave the maximum objectivefunction value, the method may recover an estimate of the transmittedsymbol sequence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present inventions can be obtained whenthe following detailed description is considered in conjunction with thefollowing drawings.

FIG. 1A shows one embodiment of a system including a transmitter andreceiver that are configured to communicate wirelessly using CPM.

FIG. 1B shows one embodiment of a system including two transceivers thatare configured to communicate wirelessly in a bi-directional fashionusing CPM.

FIG. 1C shows one embodiment of a system including a base station and amobile device 35 that are configured to communicate wirelessly in abi-directional fashion using CPM.

FIG. 2A shows the winning survivor path for a full response CPM signalwith h=½, M=2, rectangular pulse shaping filter, and symbol sequence{−1,+1,−1}.

FIG. 2B shows the winning survivor path for a full response CPM signalwith h=½, M=2, rectangular pulse shaping filter, and symbol sequence{−1,+1,−1} in the presence of carrier frequency offset equal to Af andphase offset equal to φ₀.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method forestimating the carrier frequency offset Δf and the carrier phase offsetφ₀.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method forestimating the carrier frequency offset Δf associated with the receptionof a CPM signal.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method forestimating the carrier phase offset φ₀ associated with the reception ofa CPM signal.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method forjointly estimating the carrier frequency offset Δf and carrier phaseoffset φ₀.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a computer system 700 that may beused to implement any of the method embodiments described herein.

FIG. 8A is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, forsingle-h quaternary CPM (h= 7/10Δ) at SNR=0 dB, with no correction, withrectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84MHz.

FIG. 8B is a graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for single-hquaternary CPM (h= 7/10) at SNR=0 dB, with rectangular window, tracebacklength=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 8C is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, for asingle-h quaternary CPM (h= 7/10) at SNR=5 dB, with no correction, withrectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84MHz.

FIG. 8D is a graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for single-hquaternary CPM (h= 7/10) at SNR=5 dB, with rectangular window, tracebacklength=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 8E is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, forsingle-h quaternary CPM (h= 7/10) at SNR=15 dB, with no correction, withrectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84MHz.

FIG. 8F is graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for single-hquaternary CPM (h= 7/10) at SNR=15 dB, with rectangular window,traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9A is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, formulti-h quaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=0 dB, with nocorrection, with rectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, andsymbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9B is a graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for multi-hquaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=0 dB, with rectangular window,traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9C is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, formulti-quaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=5 dB, with nocorrection, with rectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, andsymbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9D is a graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for multi-hquaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=5 dB, with rectangular window,traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9E is a graph of winning path metric vs. CFO introduced, formulti-h quaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=15 dB, with nocorrection, with rectangular window, traceback length=20 symbols, andsymbol rate=3.84 MHz.

FIG. 9F is a graph of CFO estimated vs. CFO introduced, for multi-hquaternary CPM (h={ 12/16, 13/16}) at SNR=15 dB, with rectangularwindow, traceback length=20 symbols, and symbol rate=3.84 MHz.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the drawings and detailed description theretoare not intended to limit the invention to the particular formdisclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.Note that the various section headings within the following DetailedDescription are for organizational purposes only and are not intended tobe used to limit the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Terminology

The following is a glossary of terms used in the present application:

Memory Medium—A medium configured for the storage and retrieval ofinformation, including any of various types of memory devices or storagedevices. The term “memory medium” is intended to include an installationmedium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks 105, or tape device; a computersystem memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDORAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; a non-volatile memory such as a Flash, magneticmedia, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, or othersimilar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may compriseother types of memory as well or combinations thereof. In addition, thememory medium may be located in a first computer in which the programsare executed, or may be located in a second different computer whichconnects to the first computer over a network, such as the Internet. Inthe latter instance, the second computer may provide programinstructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memorymedium” may include two or more memory mediums which may reside indifferent locations, e.g., in different computers that are connectedover a network.

Programmable Hardware Element - includes various hardware devicescomprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via aprogrammable interconnect. Examples include FPGAs (Field ProgrammableGate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (FieldProgrammable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). The programmablefunction blocks may range from fine grained (combinatorial logic or lookup tables) to coarse grained (arithmetic logic units or processorcores). A programmable hardware element may also be referred to as“reconfigurable logic”.

Computer System—any of various types of computing or processing systems,including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system,workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digitalassistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or otherdevice or combinations of devices. In general, the term “computersystem” can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combinationof devices) having at least one processor that executes instructionsfrom a memory medium.

Embodiments of the present invention may be realized in any of variousforms. For example, in some embodiments, the present invention may berealized as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memorymedium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the presentinvention may be realized using one or more custom-designed hardwaredevices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Inother embodiments, the present invention may be realized using one ormore programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory mediummay be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data,where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, causethe computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of a methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

In some embodiments, a computer system may be configured to include aprocessor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memorymedium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured toread and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherethe program instructions are executable to implement any of the variousmethod embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets). Thecomputer system may be realized in any of various forms. For example,the computer system may be a personal computer (in any of its variousrealizations), a workstation, a computer on a card, anapplication-specific computer in a box, a server computer, a clientcomputer, a hand-held device, a tablet computer, a wearable computer,etc.

FIG. 1A shows one embodiment of a system including a transmitter 10 anda receiver 15 that are configured to wirelessly communicate through acommunication medium (e.g., the atmosphere, free space, a body of water)using continuous phase modulation (CPM), e.g., single-h CPM or multi-hCPM. The transmitter 10 is configured to modulate a stream ofinformation bits onto a carrier using CPM, and to transmit the modulatedcarrier onto the communication medium, e.g., using antenna 12. Thereceiver 15 is configured to receive the modulated carrier from thecommunication medium (e.g., using antenna 17) and to recover an estimateof the stream of information bits using any of the method embodimentsdescribed herein. In some embodiments, one or both of the transmitterand receiver may be configured as a mobile device.

FIG. 1B shows one embodiment of a system including a transceiver 20 anda transceiver 25 that are configured to wirelessly communicate in abi-directional fashion through a communication medium (e.g., theatmosphere, free space, a body of water) using continuous phasemodulation (CPM), e.g., single-h CPM or multi-h CPM. The receiversubsystem of each transceiver is configured to employ any of the methodembodiments described herein to recover information from the CPM signaltransmitted by the other transceiver. In some embodiments, one of bothof the transceivers may be configured as a mobile device. For example,transceiver 20 may be a base station and transceiver 25 may be a mobiledevice, e.g., a mobile device included in a cell phone, a handhelddevice, a satellite, a vehicle or aircraft, a mobile sensing device,etc.

FIG. 1C shows one embodiment of a system including a base station 30 anda mobile device 35 that that are configured to wirelessly communicate ina bi-directional fashion through a communication medium using CPM, e.g.,single-h CPM or multi-h CPM. The mobile device may be a mobile phone, amobile computing device, a mobile sensing device, etc. The receiver ofthe base station 30 and/or the receiver of the mobile device 35 may beconfigured to demodulate CPM signals using any of the method embodimentsdescribed herein.

In some embodiments, the present invention may estimate the phase offsetφ₀ and carrier frequency offset Δf by performing a plurality ofiterations, where each iteration includes selecting a candidate estimate(v, w) for the pair (Δf,φ₀), adjusting the frequency and phase of thereceived signal respectively by −v and −w, and performing Viterbidemodulation on the adjusted signal to obtain a winning path metricvalue. (For details on how to perform Viterbi demodulation on CPMsignals, see, e.g., Aulin, Maiolo and Proakis.) A search procedure maybe employed to maximize the winning path metric over a region within thetwo-dimensional (v,w) space. The Viterbi demodulation corresponding tothe maximizing pair (v_(max),w_(max)) produces as a by-product anestimate of the transmitted symbol sequence.

In some circumstances, the region may be centered on the origin (0,0),e.g., when the receiver has made no previous estimate of the carrierfrequency offset and carrier phase offset. However, if a previousestimate has been made (on a previous acquisition of the receivedsignal), the region may be centered on the point (x,y), where x is theprevious estimate of the carrier frequency offset and y is the previousestimate of the carrier phase offset. The size of the region may scalewith the amount of time that has traversed since the previous estimate.

Let Φ denote the set of possible phase states for an ideal CPM signal atany given time nT, where n is an integer. (An ideal CPM signal is onewith zero phase offset and zero carrier frequency offset and no noise.)

In prior art Viterbi demodulation, one computes a path metric PM(n) asthe correlation between the received signal with each transmitted signalS_(k)(t). The transmitted signal S_(k)(t) can be expressed as

S _(k)(t)=A cos{φ(t,n−1)+2πha _(k) q(t−nT)},   (4)

where a_(k) takes all possible values from the set S_(M)={±1,±3, . . . ,±(M−1)}.

This correlation metric can be mathematically represented as shownbelow:

$\begin{matrix}{{{PM}(n)} = {{{PM}\left( {n - 1} \right)} + {\max\limits_{k}{\int_{{({n - 1})}T}^{nT}{{Real}\left\{ {{S_{k}^{*}(t)}{r(t)}} \right\} \ {{t}.}}}}}} & (5)\end{matrix}$

In equation (5), PM(n−1) represents the metric of the survivingsequences up to time (n−1)T. The additional term represents thecorrelation metric contributed by the received signal r(t) in theinterval (n−1)T≦t≦nT. The maximization over index k keeps the survivingpath and eliminates the rest.

From Aulin, Maiolo and Proakis, it can be observed that there will beN_(S)M^(L) different values of the correlation metric

∫_((n − 1)T)^(nT)Real{S_(k)^(*)(t)r(t)}t

for each signal interval. (N_(S)M^(L) corresponds to the product ofN_(S)M^(L−1) phase states and M transitions per phase state.) However,there is only one survivor path at each state and hence the number ofsurviving sequences at the end of each time step of the Viterbidemodulation will be N_(S)M^(L−1). Here L is a positive integer thatdefines the duration of the pulse shaping filter g(t). If L=1, we have afull response CPM signal. If L>1, we have a partial response CPM signal.If h=α/β, where α and β are positive integers with no common factors andα<β, then the number N_(S) of phase states for L=1 is given by:

$N_{S} = \left\{ \begin{matrix}\beta & {{if}\mspace{14mu} \alpha \mspace{14mu} {is}\mspace{14mu} {even}} \\{2\beta} & {{{if}\mspace{14mu} \alpha \mspace{14mu} {is}\mspace{14mu} {even}},}\end{matrix} \right.$

More generally, the number of phase states is N_(S)M^(L−1).

Let PM(N) be the surviving path at the end of NT signal duration. Ifthere is no carrier offset, no phase offset and the SNR is high, it canbe seen from equation (5) that PM(N)=N. One example of the trellis witha winning path PM(n) for a full response CPM signal with h=½, M=2, and arectangular pulse shaping filter is shown in FIG. 2A. The thick dottedline indicates the phase trellis path for the symbol sequence{−1,+1,−1}.

In the present invention, the received signal is assumed to be impairedby the carrier frequency offset Δf and/or the carrier phase offset φ₀,and typically also additive noise. In one set of embodiments, aprocedure for estimating Δf and φ₀ involves exploring (or searching) aregion of a frequency-phase space.

The exploration involves performing a plurality of iterations, with eachiteration corresponding to a respective pair (v,w) within the region.Furthermore, each iteration involves performing a Viterbi demodulationbased on the following modified update equation for the path metric:

$\begin{matrix}{{{PM}_{\beta}^{\prime}\left( {n,{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} = {{{PM}_{\beta}^{\prime}\left( {{n - 1},{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} + {\max\limits_{k}{\int_{{({n - 1})}T}^{nT}{{Real}\left\{ {{{S_{k}^{*}(t)}{r(t)}{\exp \left( {- {j\left( {{2\pi \; {vt}} + w} \right)}} \right)}} + {n(t)}} \right\} \ {t}}}}}} & (6)\end{matrix}$

Note that equation (6) differs from equation (5) by the presence of adigitally-introduced frequency and phase adjustment involving v and w.In particular, the received signal r(t) is digitally frequency shiftedby −v and phase shifted by −w. (Equivalently, equation (6) may beinterpreted as applying a frequency shift by +v and a phase shift by +wto the signal S_(k)(t).) The β appearing in equation 6 as a subscriptdenotes the survivor path through the trellis that terminates at thefinal time NT on phase state β ∈ Φ. (In other words, the final phasestates are used to index the set of survivor paths.) Thus, there areN_(S)M^(L−1) such survivor paths corresponding to the N_(S)M^(L−1)possible phase states at time NT.

The path metric PM′_(β)(N, Δf , φ₀, v, w) is maximized over phase statesβ:

$\begin{matrix}{{{PM}^{\prime}\left( {N,{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} = {\max\limits_{\beta}{\left\{ {{PM}_{\beta}^{\prime}\left( {N,{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} \right\}.}}} & \left( {6B} \right)\end{matrix}$

The survivor path that achieves the maximum path metric PM′(N,Δf,φ₀,v,w) is referred to herein as the winning path. The maximum value PM′(N,Δf,φ₀,v,w) of the path metric is referred to as the winning path metricvalue (WPMV).

The winning path metric value PM′_(β)(N,Δf, φ₀,v,w) depends on thevalues of v and w. The estimation procedure explores the (v,w) space inorder to maximize the winning path metric value. The maximizing pair(v_(max),w_(max)) represents an estimate of the impairment vector(Δf,φ₀).

To gain some insight into the iterative procedure, imagine substitutingthe expression (1B) into equation (6) and then evaluating themaximization over k by selecting the signal S_(k)(t) that agrees withthe transmitted signal a_(k). Equation (6) then simplifies to:

$\begin{matrix}{{{PM}_{\beta}^{\prime}\left( {n,{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} = {{{PM}_{\beta}^{\prime}\left( {{n - 1},{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)} + {\int_{{({n - 1})}T}^{nT}{{Real}\left\{ {^{j{\{{{2{\pi {({{\Delta \; f} - v})}}t} + {({\varphi_{0} - w})}}\}}} + {n(t)}} \right\} {t}}}}} & (7)\end{matrix}$

Observe that the complex exponential term in the integral reduces tounity when v=Δf and w=φ₀. In contrast, when v is not equal to Δf,and/or, when w is not equal to φ₀, the real part of the complexexponential is less than unity. Thus, when v=Δf and w=φ₀, the integralis maximized. It then follows that the survivor path metric values andthe winning path metric value WPMV will be maximized. Thus, we searchfor the maximizing values of v and w in order to estimate Δf and φ₀respectively.

FIG. 2B shows an example similar to the example of FIG. 2A, but with anon-zero carrier frequency offset Δf and non-zero phase offset φ₀. Itcan be observed that with the CFO, the phase trellis has a differentslope, and the phase offset manifests itself as a change in thepositions of the final states of the phase trellis.

The CFO and CPO can be estimated by jointly varying v and w such thatv_(L)≦v≦_(U) and w_(L)≦w≦w_(U), and finding the values v. and w_(max)that maximize the winning path metric value WPMV. (In some embodiments,v_(L)<0<v_(U) and w_(L)<0<w_(U), e.g., v_(L)=−v_(u) and w_(L)=−w_(U).)The value v_(max) represents an estimate Δ{circumflex over (f)} for theCFO Δf, and the value w_(max) represents an estimate {circumflex over(φ)}₀ for CPO φ₀. In other words,

$\begin{matrix}{\left( {{\Delta \hat{f}},{\hat{\varphi}}_{0}} \right) = {\arg \; {\max\limits_{({v,w})}{{{PM}^{~\prime}\left( {N,{\Delta \; f},\varphi_{0},v,w} \right)}.}}}} & (8)\end{matrix}$

One embodiment of the estimation algorithm is illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 3. At 310, a outer loop in frequency adjustment variable vis initiated. The outer loop causes the variable v to increment fromv_(L) to v_(U) in steps of size Δv. At 315, an inner loop on phaseadjustment variable w is initiated. The inner loop causes the variable wto increment from w_(L) to w_(U) in steps of size Δw. At 320, Viterbidemodulation is performed with equation (6) as the update equation forthe path metric, and the winning path metric value PM′(N,Δf,φ₀,v,w) iscomputed. At 325, a test is performed to determine if variable w hasreached the upper limit w_(U). If not, the next iteration of the innerloop is performed. If the upper limit w_(U) has been reached, thencontrol passes to operation 330. At 330, a test is performed todetermine if variable v has reached the upper limit v_(U). If not, thenext iteration of the outer loop is performed. If the upper limit v_(U)has been reached, then control passes to operation 335. At 335, the pair(v_(max),w_(max)) that maximizes the winning path metric value PM′(N,66f,φ₀,v,w) is set equal to the vector estimate (Δ{circumflex over(f)},{circumflex over (φ)}₀). In other words, v_(max) is an estimate forΔf, and w_(max) is an estimate for φ₀.

Carrier Frequency Offset Estimation

In one set of embodiments, a method 400 may include the operations shownin FIG. 4. (The method 400 may include any subset of the featuresdescribed above.) The method 400 may be performed by a digital system,e.g., by a computer system, by a set of one or more programmablehardware elements, by custom designed circuitry such as one or moreASICs, or by any combination of the foregoing.

At 410, the digital system may receive a block of samples of acontinuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signalmay be a single-h CPM signal or a multi-h CPM signal.

The receiver may be configured to capture a CPM signal from atransmission medium (e.g., a cable or a wireless channel) and todownconvert the captured signal to baseband. The baseband signal may bedigitized to produce the block of samples.

At 420, the digital system may estimate a carrier frequency offset Δfinherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples. Theprocess of estimating the carrier frequency offset Af comprisescomputing a maximum of an objective function J as a function offrequency offset v. The maximizing value v_(max) of the frequency offsetv represents an estimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf. The carrierfrequency offset Δf may include a Doppler shift due to motion of thereceiver relative to a transmitter, and/or, a difference between a localoscillator frequency of the receiver and a local oscillator frequency ofa transmitter.

The action of computing the maximum includes computing a plurality ofvalues J(v) of the objective function J at a respective plurality ofvalues of the frequency offset v. Any of a wide variety of known searchalgorithms may be employed to compute a maximum of the objectivefunction.

The action of computing the objective function value J(v) at any givenone of the values of the frequency offset v may include frequencyshifting (420A) the received block of samples by −v to obtain afrequency shifted block of samples, and performing Viterbi demodulation(420B) on the frequency shifted block of samples to obtain a winningpath metric value at a final time. The winning path metric value is usedas the objective function value J(v).

The computed estimate v_(max) of the carrier frequency offset Δf may bestored in a memory.

In some embodiments, the method 400 is performed blindly, i.e., withoutrelying on a preamble or pilot. Indeed, in some embodiments, the CPMsignal does not include any preamble or pilot.

In some embodiments, the estimate v_(max) for the carrier frequencyoffset Δf may be displayed on a display screen, e.g., incorporated intoa displayed graph of carrier frequency offset versus time.

In some embodiments, the estimate v_(max) may be used to adjust thefrequency of the receiver's local oscillator to correct the carrierfrequency offset.

In some embodiments, the method 400 includes performing a tracebackprocess to recover information bits from the winning path of the Viterbidemodulation that corresponds to the maximum value of the objectivefunction. (Recall that each objective function evaluation involvesfrequency shifting and performing a Viterbi demodulation. The Viterbidemodulation that corresponding the maximum winning path metric value isused to determined the information bits.) In various embodiments, therecovered information bits may represent an audio stream, a videostream, an image, a data file, etc. The recovered information bits maybe used to drive an output device such as a speaker, a display device,etc. The recovered information bits may be stored in a memory for laterretrieval and/or analysis.

In some embodiments, the method 400 may also include frequency shiftinga second block of samples of the CPM signal by −v_(max), and recoveringinformation from the frequency-shifted second block by performingViterbi demodulation on the frequency-shifted second block. In otherwords, the value v_(max) determined in operation 420 based on the firstsample block may be used to demodulate the second sample block withoutinvoking the maximization process.

Carrier Phase Offset Estimation

In one set of embodiments, a method 500 may include the operations shownin FIG. 5. (The method 500 may include any subset of the featuresdescribed above.) The method 500 may be performed by a digital system,e.g., by a computer system, by a set of one or more programmablehardware elements, by custom designed circuitry such as one or moreASICs, or by any combination of the foregoing.

At 510, the digital system may receive a block of samples of acontinuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signalmay be a single-h CPM signal or a multi-h CPM signal.

At 520, the digital system may estimate a carrier phase offset φ₀inherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples. Theprocess of estimating the carrier phase offset φ₀ comprises computing amaximum of an objective function J as a function of phase offset w. Themaximizing value w_(max) of the phase offset w represents an estimate ofthe carrier phase offset φ₀. The action of computing the maximumincludes computing a plurality of values J(w) of the objective functionJ at a respective plurality of values of the phase offset w. Any of awide variety of known search algorithms may be employed to compute amaximum of the objective function.

The action of computing the objective function value J(w) at any givenone of the values of the phase offset w includes: phase shifting thereceived block of samples by −w to obtain a phase shifted block ofsamples; and performing Viterbi demodulation on the phase shifted blockof samples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time,wherein the winning path metric value is the objective function valueJ(w).

The computed estimate w_(max) of the carrier phase offset φ₀ may bestored in a memory.

In some embodiments, the method 500 is performed blindly, i.e., withoutrelying on a preamble or pilot. Indeed, in some embodiments, the CPMsignal does not include any preamble or pilot.

In some embodiments, the estimate w_(max) for the carrier phase offsetmay be displayed on a display screen, e.g., incorporated into a graph ofcarrier phase offset versus time.

In some embodiments, the method 500 includes performing a tracebackprocess to recover information bits from the winning path of the Viterbidemodulation that corresponds to the maximum value of the objectivefunction. In various embodiments, the recovered information bits mayrepresent an audio stream, a video stream, an image, a data file, etc.The recovered information bits may be used to drive an output devicesuch as a speaker, a display device, etc. The recovered information bitsmay be stored in a memory for later retrieval and/or analysis.

In some embodiments, the method 500 may also include phase shifting asecond block of samples of the CPM signal by −w_(max), and recoveringinformation from the phase-shifted second block by performing Viterbidemodulation on the phase-shifted second block. In other words, thevalue w_(max) determined in operation 520 based on the first sampleblock may be used to demodulate the second sample block without invokingthe maximization process.

In some embodiments, the method 500 may also include phase shifting alocal oscillator of the receiver by amount −w_(max), to compensate forthe carrier phase offset φ₀.

Estimation of Carrier Frequency Offset and Carrier Phase Offset

In one set of embodiments, a method 600 may include the operations shownin FIG. 6. (The method 600 may include any subset of the featuresdescribed above.) The method 600 may be performed by a digital system,e.g., by a computer system, by a set of one or more programmablehardware elements, by custom designed circuitry such as one or moreASICs, or by any combination of the foregoing.

At 610, the digital system may receive a block of samples of acontinuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver. The CPM signalmay be a single-h CPM signal or a multi-h CPM signal.

At 620, the digital system may estimate a carrier frequency offset Afand a carrier phase offset φ₀ inherent in the CPM signal based on thereceived block of samples. The estimation process comprises computing amaximum of an objective function J over a region within atwo-dimensional space parameterized by frequency offset v and phaseoffset w. The coordinates v_(max) and w_(max) of the maximizing point inthe region represent respectively an estimate of the carrier frequencyoffset Δf and an estimate of the carrier phase offset φ₀. (The carrierfrequency offset may include a Doppler shift due to motion of thereceiver relative to a transmitter, and/or, a difference between a localoscillator frequency of the receiver and a local oscillator frequency ofa transmitter.)

The action of computing the maximum includes computing a plurality ofvalues J(v,w) of the objective function J at a respective pluralitypoints (v,w) in the region. Any of a wide variety of known searchalgorithms may be employed to compute a maximum of the objectivefunction.

The action of computing the objective function value J(v,w) at any givenone of the points (v,w) comprises: applying a frequency shift of amount−v and a phase shift of amount −w to the received block of samples inorder to obtain a modified block of samples; and performing Viterbidemodulation on the modified block of samples to obtain a winning pathmetric value at a final time, wherein the winning path metric value isthe objective function value J(v,w).

The estimate v_(max) of the carrier frequency offset Af and the estimatew_(max) of the carrier phase offset φ₀ may be stored in a memory.

In some embodiments, the method 600 is performed blindly, i.e., withoutrelying on a preamble or pilot. Indeed, in some embodiments, the CPMsignal does not include any preamble or pilot.

In some embodiments, the estimate v_(max) and the estimate w_(max) maybe displayed on a display screen.

In some embodiments, the method 600 may include performing a tracebackprocess to recover information bits from the winning path of the Viterbidemodulation that corresponds to the maximum value of the objectivefunction. In various embodiments, the recovered information bits mayrepresent an audio stream, a video stream, an image, a data file, etc.The recovered information bits may be used to drive an output devicesuch as a speaker, a display device, etc. The recovered information bitsmay be stored in a memory for later retrieval and/or analysis.

In some embodiments, the method 600 may also include applying afrequency shift of −v_(max) and a phase shift of −w_(max) to a secondblock of samples of the CPM signal to obtain a modified second block ofsamples; and recovering information from the modified second block byperforming Viterbi demodulation on the modified second block. In otherwords, the values v_(max) and w_(max) determined in operation 420 basedon the first sample block may be used to demodulate the second sampleblock without invoking the maximization process.

Computer System

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a computer system 700 that may beused to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or, anycombination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset ofany of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination ofsuch subsets.

Computer system 700 may include a processing unit 710, a system memory712, a set 715 of one or more storage devices, a communication bus 720,a set 725 of input devices, and a display system 730.

System memory 712 may include a set of semiconductor devices such as RAMdevices (and perhaps also a set of ROM devices).

Storage devices 715 may include any of various storage devices such asone or more memory media and/or memory access devices. For example,storage devices 715 may include devices such as a CD/DVD-ROM drive, ahard disk, a magnetic disk drive, magnetic tape drives, etc.

Processing unit 710 is configured to read and execute programinstructions, e.g., program instructions stored in system memory 712and/or on one or more of the storage devices 715. Processing unit 710may couple to system memory 712 through communication bus 720 (orthrough a system of interconnected busses, or through a network). Theprogram instructions configure the computer system 700 to implement amethod, e.g., any of the method embodiments described herein, or, anycombination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subsetof any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination ofsuch subsets.

Processing unit 710 may include one or more processors (e.g.,microprocessors).

One or more users may supply input to the computer system 700 throughthe input devices 725. Input devices 725 may include devices such as akeyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive pad, a touch-sensitive screen, adrawing pad, a track ball, a light pen, a data glove, eye orientationand/or head orientation sensors, a microphone (or set of microphones),or any combination thereof

The display system 730 may include any of a wide variety of displaydevices representing any of a wide variety of display technologies. Forexample, the display system may be a computer monitor, a head-mounteddisplay, a projector system, a volumetric display, or a combinationthereof. In some embodiments, the display system may include a pluralityof display devices. In one embodiment, the display system may include aprinter and/or a plotter.

In some embodiments, the computer system 700 may include other devices,e.g., devices such as one or more graphics accelerators, one or morespeakers, a sound card, a video camera and a video card, a dataacquisition system.

In some embodiments, computer system 700 may include one or morecommunication devices 735, e.g., a network interface card forinterfacing with a computer network. As another example, thecommunication device 735 may include one or more specialized interfacesfor communication via any of a variety of established communicationstandards or protocols (e.g., USB, Firewire, PCI, PCI Express, PXI).

The computer system may be configured with a software infrastructureincluding an operating system, and perhaps also, one or more graphicsAPIs (such as OpenGL®, Direct3D, Java 3D™). In some embodiments, thesoftware infrastructure may include National Instruments LabVIEW™software, and/or, LabVIEWTM FPGA.

In some embodiments, the computer system 700 may be configured tointerface with a receiver 750. The receiver may be configured to receivea CPM signal (from a communication channel) as variously describedherein. The receiver may operate under the control of software executingon processor 710 and/or software executing on the receiver itself.

In some embodiments, the receiver may include one or more programmablehardware elements and/or one or more microprocessors for performingdigital processing on digital data (e.g., on sampled baseband CPMsignals) as variously described herein.

Simulated Test Results

The inventors of this patent have implemented a CPM modulator andViterbi-based CPM demodulator in software. A channel model to simulatethe AWGN (additive white Gaussian noise), CFO impairment, CPOimpairment, etc. has also been implemented in software. This sectiondiscusses the results of tests using the modulator, demodulator andchannel model.

Test Scenario-1: Single h= 7/10

In this test, a CPM signal with single h= 7/10, and N=100 symbols isgenerated. The symbol rate configured is 3.84 MHz. The signal isimpaired with a SNR=0 dB, 5 dB, and 15 dB. For each of the given SNRvalues, a CFO impairment (Δf in the range of −1 MHz to +1 MHz innon-linear steps of 10 Hz) is added and the winning path metric valuePM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is computed using the Viterbi demodulator. The FIGS. 8A, 8Cand 8E indicate the winning path metric PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) vs. Δf for each ofthe SNR values. It can be clearly seen that the winning path metric isapproximately equal to the traceback length of the Viterbi demodulator(i.e., N in equations (6) and (7) given above), if Δf=0 Hz.

For each SNR and for each CFO (Δf) impaired CPM signal, PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) iscomputed, and the maximum of the PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is obtained. The value ofΔf that corresponds to the maximum value of PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is theCFO/Doppler estimate Δf₀. The FIGS. 8B, 8D and 8F indicate the CFOintroduced (Δf₁) vs. CFO estimated (Δf₀).

Test Scenario-2: Multi-h={ 12/16, 13/16}

In this test, a CPM signal with single h={ 12/16, 13/16}, and N=100symbols is generated. The symbol rate configured is 3.84 MHz. The signalis impaired with a SNR=0 dB, 5 dB and 15 dB. For each of the given SNRvalues, a CFO impairment (Δf in the range of −1 MHz to +1 MHz innon-linear steps of 10 Hz) is added and the winning path metricPM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is computed using the Viterbi demodulator. The FIGS. 9A, 9Cand 9E indicate the winning path metric PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) vs. Af for each ofthe SNR values. It can be clearly seen that the winning path metric isapproximately equal to the traceback length of the Viterbi demodulator(i.e., N in equations 6, 7 mentioned above), if Δf=0 Hz.

For each SNR and for each CFO (Δf) impaired CPM signal, PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) iscomputed, and the max of the PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is obtained. The Δf thatcorresponds to the maximum value of PM′(N,Δf,φ₀) is the CFO/Dopplerestimate Δf₀. The FIGS. 9B, 9D and 9F indicate the CFO introduced (Δf)vs. CFO estimated (Δf₀).

Although the embodiments above have been described in considerabledetail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent tothose skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace allsuch variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving a block of samplesof a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver; estimatinga carrier frequency offset Δf inherent in the CPM signal based on thereceived block of samples, wherein said estimating comprises computing amaximum of an objective function J as a function of frequency offset v,wherein a maximizing value v_(max) of the frequency offset v representsan estimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf, wherein said computingthe maximum includes computing a plurality of values J(v) of theobjective function J at a respective plurality of values of thefrequency offset v, wherein said computing the objective function valueJ(v) at any given one of the values of the frequency offset v comprises:frequency shifting the received block of samples by −v to obtain afrequency shifted block of samples; performing Viterbi demodulation onthe frequency shifted block of samples to obtain a winning path metricvalue at a final time, wherein the winning path metric value is theobjective function value J(v); storing the estimate of the carrierfrequency offset Δf in a memory.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein theCPM signal does not include a preamble or a pilot.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the CPM signal is a single-h CPM signal.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the CPM signal is a multi-h CPM signal.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency offset Δf includes aDoppler shift due to motion of the receiver relative to a transmitter.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency offset Δfincludes a difference between a local oscillator frequency of thereceiver and a local oscillator frequency of a transmitter.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: performing a traceback process torecover information bits from a winning path of the Viterbi demodulationcorresponding to the maximum value of the objective function.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: frequency shifting a second blockof samples of the CPM signal by −v_(max); recovering information fromthe frequency-shifted second block by performing Viterbi demodulation onthe frequency-shifted second block.
 9. A non-transitorycomputer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions, whereinthe program instructions, when executed by a computer, cause thecomputer to: receive a block of samples of a continuous phase modulated(CPM) signal from a receiver; estimate a carrier frequency offset Afinherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples,wherein said estimating comprises computing a maximum of an objectivefunction J as a function of frequency offset v, wherein a maximizingvalue v_(max) of the frequency offset v represents an estimate of thecarrier frequency offset Δf, wherein said computing the maximum includescomputing a plurality of values J(v) of the objective function J at arespective plurality of values of the frequency offset v, wherein saidcomputing the objective function value J(v) at any given one of thevalues of the frequency offset v comprises: frequency shifting thereceived block of samples by −v to obtain a frequency shifted block ofsamples; performing Viterbi demodulation on the frequency shifted blockof samples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time,wherein the winning path metric value is the objective function valueJ(v); and store the estimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf in amemory.
 10. The memory medium of claim 9, wherein the CPM signal doesnot include a preamble or a pilot.
 11. A computer system comprising: aprocessor; and a memory medium storing program instructions that areexecutable by the processor, wherein the program instructions, whenexecuted by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a block ofsamples of a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver;estimate a carrier frequency offset Af inherent in the CPM signal basedon the received block of samples, wherein said estimating comprisescomputing a maximum of an objective function J as a function offrequency offset v, wherein a maximizing value v_(max) of the frequencyoffset v represents an estimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf,wherein said computing the maximum includes computing a plurality ofvalues J(v) of the objective function J at a respective plurality ofvalues of the frequency offset v, wherein said computing the objectivefunction value J(v) at any given one of the values of the frequencyoffset v comprises: frequency shifting the received block of samples by−v to obtain a frequency shifted block of samples; performing Viterbidemodulation on the frequency shifted block of samples to obtain awinning path metric value at a final time, wherein the winning pathmetric value is the objective function value J(v); and store theestimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf in a memory.
 12. Thecomputer system of claim 11, wherein the CPM signal does not include apreamble or a pilot.
 13. A method comprising: receiving a block ofsamples of a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal from a receiver;estimating a carrier frequency offset Δf and a carrier phase offset φ₀inherent in the CPM signal based on the received block of samples,wherein said estimating comprises computing a maximum of an objectivefunction J over a region within a two-dimensional space parameterized byfrequency offset v and phase offset w, wherein coordinates v_(max) andw_(max) of a maximizing point in the region represent respectively anestimate of the carrier frequency offset Δf and an estimate of thecarrier phase offset φ₀, wherein said computing the maximum includescomputing a plurality of values J(v,w) of the objective function J at arespective plurality points (v,w) in the region, wherein said computingthe objective function value J(v,w) at any given one of the points (v,w)comprises: applying a frequency shift of amount −v and a phase shift ofamount −w to the received block of samples in order to obtain a modifiedblock of samples; performing Viterbi demodulation on the modified blockof samples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time,wherein the winning path metric value is the objective function valueJ(v,w); and storing the carrier frequency offset estimate and thecarrier phase offset estimate in a memory.
 14. The method of claim 13,wherein the CPM signal does not include a preamble or a pilot.
 15. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the CPM signal is a single-h CPM signal. 16.The method of claim 13, wherein the CPM signal is a multi-h CPM signal.17. The method of claim 13, wherein the carrier frequency offsetincludes a Doppler shift due to motion of the receiver relative to atransmitter.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the carrier frequencyoffset includes a difference between a local oscillator frequency of thereceiver and a local oscillator frequency of a transmitter.
 19. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: performing a traceback processto recover information bits from a winning path of the Viterbidemodulation that corresponds to the maximum value of the objectivefunction.
 20. The method of claim 13, further comprising: applying afrequency shift of −v_(max) and a phase shift of −w_(max) to a secondblock of samples of the CPM signal to obtain a modified second block ofsamples; and recovering information from the modified second block byperforming Viterbi demodulation on the modified second block.
 21. Anon-transitory computer-accessible memory medium storing programinstructions that are executable by a computer system, wherein theprogram instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause thecomputer system to: receive a block of samples of a continuous phasemodulated (CPM) signal from a receiver; estimate a carrier frequencyoffset Af and a carrier phase offset φ₀ inherent in the CPM signal basedon the received block of samples, wherein said estimating comprisescomputing a maximum of an objective function J over a region within atwo-dimensional space parameterized by frequency offset v and phaseoffset w, wherein coordinates v_(max) and w_(max) of a maximizing pointin the region represent respectively an estimate of the carrierfrequency offset Δf and an estimate of the carrier phase offset φ₀,wherein said computing the maximum includes computing a plurality ofvalues J(v,w) of the objective function J at a respective pluralitypoints (v,w) in the region, wherein said computing the objectivefunction value J(v,w) at any given one of the points (v,w) comprises:applying a frequency shift of amount −v and a phase shift of amount −wto the received block of samples in order to obtain a modified block ofsamples; performing Viterbi demodulation on the modified block ofsamples to obtain a winning path metric value at a final time, whereinthe winning path metric value is the objective function value J(v,w);and store the carrier frequency offset estimate and the carrier phaseoffset estimate in a memory.
 22. The memory medium of claim 21, whereinthe CPM signal does not include a preamble or a pilot.
 23. A computersystem comprising: a processor; and a memory medium storing programinstructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the programinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:receive a block of samples of a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signalfrom a receiver; estimate a carrier frequency offset Af and a carrierphase offset φ₀ inherent in the CPM signal based on the received blockof samples, wherein said estimating comprises computing a maximum of anobjective function J over a region within a two-dimensional spaceparameterized by frequency offset v and phase offset w, whereincoordinates v_(max) ^(and w) _(max) of a maximizing point in the regionrepresent respectively an estimate of the carrier frequency offset Afand an estimate of the carrier phase offset φ₀, wherein said computingthe maximum includes computing a plurality of values J(v,w) of theobjective function J at a respective plurality points (v,w) in theregion, wherein said computing the objective function value J(v,w) atany given one of the points (v,w) comprises: applying a frequency shiftof amount −v and a phase shift of amount −w to the received block ofsamples in order to obtain a modified block of samples; performingViterbi demodulation on the modified block of samples to obtain awinning path metric value at a final time, wherein the winning pathmetric value is the objective function value J(v,w); and store thecarrier frequency offset estimate and the carrier phase offset estimatein a memory.
 24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the CPM signaldoes not include a preamble or a pilot.